Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

This week we learned about the connection between neuroscience and art. The topic that I felt exemplified this notion of neuroscience and art the most was the discovery of the “Brainbow” in 2007. Brainbow is a method that helps us visualize individual neurons. We can distinguish from the neighboring neurons by using specific fluorescent proteins. This technique helps to identify “the longer pathways that interconnect the different brain regions.” (Center for Brain Science) They saw this as a method of mapping the neural patterns of the axons in the brain to learn more about specific diseases and trends of the brain. When looking at the various images created by this process, it almost seems unreal that this is what is going on in our brain. It looks like an example of pure abstract art, but in reality, these images are beneficial for identifying neural pathways. By learning how the brain functions at the microscopic level, it opens up the possibility of learning how the brain operates while we are unconscious and also when we are dreaming. 

            I chose this particular topic because it connects to the material that we learned the previous week. We had learned about Alba the fluorescent bunny and how its genes were manipulated to give it a bright neon color. By doing this, scientists were able to track the progress of certain diseases without needed to perform surgery on the bunny. However, these experiments also raised some questions about the ethical components of these tests. It seemed to me that when they were being performed in the name of science, they were deemed morally permissible by society. It was once these animals that were being used as a medium for art that it was no longer ethical. The Brainbow technique also shares the method of adding a fluorescent component. In regards to these tests being run, I do not think that there is anything wrong with them. The imagining of the neurons is painless, and it allows us to make advancements in the field of neuroscience. I feel as long as the person consents to it beforehand, then it should be morally permissible. 

"Brainbow 101: IGTRCN." IGTRCN, 20 Apr. 2015, igtrcn.org/brainbow-101/.

"Brainbow." Center for Brain Science, cbs.fas.harvard.edu/science/connectome-project/brainbow.

"Figure 2. Improved Visualization of Neurons in Brainbow 3 Mice (a,b)..." ResearchGate, 20 Sept. 2018, www.researchgate.net/figure/Improved-visualization-of-neurons-in-Brainbow-3-mice-a-b-Cerebellum-fromf-Brainbow-10_fig7_250307982.

"HSSP | Synthetic Biology." Christina Agapakis, agapakis.com/hssp/splicing.html.

"News | Novel Memristor Neuron Circuits Offer Building Blocks for Mimicking the Brain." HRL Laboratories, 10 Nov. 2018, www.hrl.com/news/2018/11/07/novel-memristor-neuron-circuits-offer-building-blocks-for-mimicking-the-brain.

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI.